Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, Brighter Futures Together CIC continued to grow both its direct delivery and consultancy activity, whilst remaining focused on its original purpose of improving outcomes for young people and families through peer support, lived experience, youth work and collaboration. Our work is built on the belief that people are often best supported by others who understand their experiences. This includes young people supporting other young people, parents and carers supporting one another, and professionals and volunteers sharing ideas and learning to improve the support available to children, young people and families. During the year we expanded our delivery offer, increased our consultancy and training activity, secured additional grant funding and invested in our workforce and organisational infrastructure. This growth enabled us to reach more young people and families whilst strengthening our ability to influence the wider systems that support them. Much of our work focused on young people who may experience barriers to participation, including neurodivergent young people, LGBTQ+ young people, home educated young people and those who may struggle to access or feel comfortable in more traditional activities and services. Peer-Based Programmes for Young People Our youth work programmes continued to provide opportunities for young people to connect with others, build confidence, develop skills and contribute their ideas and experiences. Our regular Thursday night youth group continued to provide a welcoming and supportive space for young people who may struggle to find a sense of belonging elsewhere. The group focuses on building positive relationships, confidence and social connections through youth work approaches. During Summer 2024 we delivered our first Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Following positive engagement and demand, this provision continued to grow and became an increasingly important part of our delivery offer, providing opportunities for young people to take part in activities, build friendships and access healthy food during school holidays. In March 2025 we launched Saturday Space, a new programme for neurodivergent young people. Beginning with a LEGO-based offer, the programme quickly expanded to include additional interest-led activities including Minecraft and art. Saturday Space grew directly from conversations with local families and reflects our commitment to creating welcoming spaces where young people can connect through shared interests and feel comfortable being themselves. Our LGBTQ+ youth work also continued to develop throughout the year. Q Hub remained a youth-led project shaped by the experiences and voices of LGBTQ+ young people. In June 2025, our Buckinghamshire provision moved to Aylesbury, helping improve accessibility and supporting future growth. We also continued to deliver Young Mental Health Champions activity where funding allowed, supporting young people to learn from one another, develop confidence and contribute positively to their communities. During the year we also began developing new provision for the home education community in response to identified need, laying the foundations for delivery which commenced shortly after the end of the reporting period. Supporting Families, Communities and Peer Networks Parents and carers continued to play an important role in shaping our work. Through both formal and informal engagement, families shared their experiences, ideas and feedback, helping ensure our activities remained responsive to community need. Many of our programmes have been developed through listening to families and building on their strengths, experiences and aspirations. This includes the development of Saturday Space and our growing work with the home education community. Lived experience continues to be central to how we work. Staff, volunteers, young people and community members all contribute insight that helps shape and improve our activities. This approach helps ensure our programmes remain relevant, accessible and grounded in the realities faced by the communities we serve. Consultancy, Training and Systems Change Alongside direct delivery, consultancy and training continued to form an important part of our work. During the year we worked with schools, local authorities, NHS partners, universities and voluntary sector organisations to improve support for children, young people and families. A significant area of work was our involvement in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, supporting schools and partners to strengthen participation, inclusion and engagement with families. We also continued to deliver consultancy, training and project support across a range of are-as linked to youth work, participation, neurodiversity, inclusion and community engagement. This work enabled us to support wider systems change whilst ensuring that learning from direct delivery informed our strategic work and vice versa. Our consultancy activity reflects one of the organisation's founding purposes: helping professionals and organisations learn from one another, build stronger partnerships and improve support for young people and families. Growth, Sustainability and Community Benefit During the year we secured increased grant funding from trusts, foundations, community partners and corporate supporters. This funding enabled us to expand opportunities for young people and families, strengthen organisational capacity and invest in sustainable growth. We also expanded our workforce through a combination of employed staff, sessional workers and associates, increasing our capacity to deliver high-quality youth work, consultancy and training. Investment in workforce development continued, including supporting staff to undertake recognized youth work qualifications. Marlow Youth and Community Centre continued to develop as our primary delivery base. The centre now hosts a growing range of activities including our Thursday night youth group, Saturday Space and Holiday Activities and Food provision. Having a stable community base has enabled us to expand our programmes and strengthen our connection with the local community. Any surplus generated through consultancy, training or funded activity is reinvested into the organisation to strengthen community benefit activities, expand opportunities for young people and families and support the long-term sustainability of the organisation.

Brighter Futures Together CIC places participation, lived experience and collaboration at the heart of its work. We regularly engage with young people, families, professionals, community organisations and partners to ensure our activities remain relevant, responsive and grounded in community need. Young People Young people continue to play a central role in shaping our work. Consultation takes place through both formal and informal routes, including project feedback, group discussions, co-design activities and ongoing conversations within our youth work provision. Many of our programmes have been shaped directly by young people's experiences and ideas. Q Hub continues to be youth-led, with young people helping shape priorities, activities and future development. Young Mental Health Champions is built on peer support and participation, enabling young people to influence both project activity and wider conversations about mental health and wellbeing. Families and Carers Parents and carers continue to provide valuable insight into the needs of young people and families within our communities. Conversations with families helped inform the development of Saturday Space and our growing work with the home education community. Alongside formal feedback, many of our most valuable insights come through ongoing relationships with families who engage with our activities and services. Lived Experience Lived experience remains an important part of how Brighter Futures Together operates. Staff, volunteers, associates, young people and families all bring perspectives that help shape and improve our work. Many of the people involved in delivering and supporting our activities have personal experience of the issues affecting the young people and families we work alongside. This helps ensure our programmes remain relevant, accessible and grounded in real-world experience. This is particularly evident within projects such as Q Hub, which is supported by a lived experience advisory group, and within our neurodiversity work, where lived experience has helped inform the design and development of programmes including Saturday Space. Professionals and Partners We continue to engage with professionals working across education, health, local government and the voluntary sector. Feedback and learning gathered through consultancy, training, partnership projects and strategic programmes help inform the development of our services and identify emerging needs. Strategic Networks and Community Partnerships Brighter Futures Together remains actively involved in a range of local and regional networks across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and surrounding areas. Participation in these networks helps us stay connected to communities, share learning and ensure that the voices of young people and families continue to influence wider systems and services. Our approach is based on ongoing dialogue rather than one-off consultation exercises. By listening to young people, families, staff, volunteers and partners, we continue to adapt and develop our work in response to changing needs and opportunities.

Directors received remuneration during the financial year in line with their operational roles within the organisation. Janette Fullwood continued in the role of Chief Executive, providing strategic leadership, partnership development, fundraising, organisational management and support to the delivery of the organisation's activities. Patrick Harrison received remuneration during the reporting period in relation to his operational role within the organisation prior to his resignation as a director on 31 August 2024. Director remuneration reflects the significant operational responsibilities undertaken by directors in a small and growing community organisation. No payments or benefits were made to directors other than those disclosed within the financial statements.

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration